Fritch officials sign wildfire protection plan

May 4, 2012

Fritch City Manager Bobby Lamb signs his name to a County Wildfire Protection Plan for the city during a special ceremony held Thursday at the City Annex in Fritch. Looking on are Hutchinson County Fire Marshal Danny Richards and Fritch Mayor Kevin Keener.
PHOTO BY DON RICE

The City of Fritch is doing its part to safeguard its citizens against wildfires.
City officials signed a County Wildfire Protection Plan during a special ceremony Thursday.
According to Joe Kozlowski, Wildland Urban Interface Specialist for the Texas Forest Service, the CWPP enables a community to plan how it will cut the risk of wildfire.
This plan also identifies strategic sites and methods for fuel reduction projects across the landscape and jurisdictional boundaries.
Benefits of having a CWPP include National Fire Plan funding priority for projects identified in a CWPP.
The United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management can speed up the implementation of fuel treatments, identified in a CWPP, through alternative environmental compliance options offered under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act.
Mike Bland of Global Frontline Solutions stated, â€śThis has been an effort that has been in place and has passed through many generations of leadership throughout this community.
â€ś[It has been] through the county, thought the city, through partnering neighbors, and weâ€™re finally to the point where this is starting to pay off and weâ€™re going to receive the benefit from everybodyâ€™s hard work.â€ť
Helping to develop the CWPP was Calvin Nickell, Danny Richards, Bobby Lamb, Ed Adamson, Kevin Keener, the CWPP committee, and the Texas Forest Service.
Everyone that had a part in this plan signed it on May 3, 2012.